Barrel-tapping apparatus



Sept. 19, 1939. v. BEECHER BARREL-TAPPING APPARATUS Filed March -l0,1938 2 Shee tS- -Sheet 1 Va /saline .Becfier Sept. 19, 1939. *V. BEECHERBARREL-TAPPING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 10, 1938 l WWMH IUMafem'zhe .Beeeber' Taten ted Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEClaims.

The invention forming the subject matter of this application relates tobarrel bung and barrel tapping apparatus generally; and moreparticularly to such apparatus adapted for use in seal- Q. ing ordrawing oif liquids from barrels, casks,

' vessels, etc., irrespective of position, or arranged in superposedrows with their axes substantially horizontal or vertical.

The main object of the invention is to provide 19 a compact bung andtapping arrangement by means of which a straight or curved draught tubeof metal or any material may be inserted through the bung and into suchposition within the barrel as to facilitate the removal of part, or allof the liquid contents, whenever desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bung that is non-rigidand extremely flexible and a tapping construction requiring lessphysical force or pressure than would otherwise have to 29 be created bymechanical means, adapted for use with straight or curved glass draughttubing. to enable the liquid contents of the barrels to be dispensed;and also preventing such contents making contact with metal or othersubstances 35 which might have an injurious effect upon the liquidsdispensed, if so desired.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the detaileddescription thereof proceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of barrels mounted upon a supporting rackor chocked in superposed rows with their axes substantially horizontal;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the barrel arlf rangement shown inFigure 1, part of one barrel being broken away and shown in section toillustrate details of construction;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken through a curved draught tubecontrolled by a faucet;

,0 Figure 4 is a section, taken on the line 44 of Figure 3, of thefaucet shown in Figure 3, parts thereof being omitted and other partsshown in elevation;

Figure 5 is an elevation of a bung forming an,

Figure 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 6; and

Figure 9 is an elevation of a reinforcing, spring band.

The bung forming an essential part of this ap- .5- paratus is designedso flexible as to permit the use of a straight or curved draught tube;and, accordingly, to permit the barrels from which the liquid is to bedrawn to be arranged either vertically or in superposed rows with theiraxes 10? substantially horizontal. Such horizontal arrangement obviouslypermits the storage and immediate access for use of a greater number ofbarrels on a given floor space than would be possible where the barrelsare arranged with their axes substantially vertical, that is, with theirends resting on a floor. The arrangement of the barrels in thispreferred manner with their heads substantially vertical and in the sameplane gives ready access to all the barrel heads and permits the barrelsbeing thoroughly drained Without disturbing the position of any of themin their respective rows.

The bung construction which permits the use of either a straight orcurved draught tube, shown in Figures 5 to 9, inclusive, includes ametallic bushing l0 having an outwardly extending octagonal flange llforming a seat tolimit the insertion of the bushing within the head l2of a keg, or barrel. The bushing I0 is externally screw-threaded toengage corresponding internal screw-threads of a bung hole I3 formed inthe head l2 of said barrel. Any part of the metal bushing which islikely to come into contact with the liquid in the barrel can, ifnecessary, be coated with rubber, resin or glass, or other material, tooffset and prevent any chemical or other action injurious to the liquid.

The bushing l0, when fully seated in the head is shown slightly greaterin depth, but this de- 40, pends on the thickness of said head of thecontainer. The bung proper comprises a plug [4 of live rubber shaped atrifle larger in order to fit the inner surface of the bushing ID in a'compressed manner. This plug is provided with a 45, peripheral grooveI5, semicircular in cross section and adapted to register and fit with asimilar groove l6 formed in the surface of the bushing ID. A split ringI! of springy material of sumcient strength of composition is seated inthe 50. groove l5 after the insertion and compressing of the plug l4into the metallic bushing l0, and is adapted to snap into the groove IS.The plug I 4 is provided with an aperture adapted to receive a draughttube l8 which may be straight 5g or curved, and is shaped or molded toprovide spaced apart flanges I9, and 2| forming air chambers 22 and 23and adapted to grip securely and in liquid tight manner the draught tubeinserted through said aperture. The plug I4 is provided with a secondand smaller aperture 24 adapted to be connected to an air pressure tube.The plug is shaped so as to form an air chamber 25 bounded at itsopposite ends by inwardly directed annular flanges 26 and 21 adapted togrip the nozzle 28 when inserted into the plug.

Below the flange 26 the aperture 24 is expanded to receive asubstantially spherical end 28 of a rubber check valve V automaticallyoperable and self closing to maintain the pressure within the keg and topermit air under pressure to be forced thereinto. The spherical end ofthe valve is secured suitably within the plug l4, and the lower endthereof is flattened and formed with an aperture 29 which is normallyclosed by the resilience of the rubber from which the valve is made. Itwill be apparent from" inspection of Figure 7 of the drawings that whenair pressure is applied through the nozzle 28, the air will be forcedthrough the aperture 29 into the keg; and, when pressure is released,the apertured end of the valve will collapse to prevent leakage of theair in the opposite direction out of the aforesaid keg.

The plug 14 has a reinforcing disk 39, the exact size of the opening inthe bushing !8, imbedded therein and is provided with apertures 3| and32 coaxial with the annular flanges 20 and 28 formed in the plug I l.The outer periphcry of the disk 36 is bent upwardly to form a crimpedflange 33 to enhance the reinforcing effect of said disk and to be thedominant factor of control of the plug 4 with the bushing iii and splitring H. A stopper 34, for the apertures in the plug M, is hingedlysecured to the upper end of the bushing it, by means of a metal strip 35which is bent at one end to form a knuckle 36 encircling the pivot pin31 extending between projections 38 and 39 formed on the octagonalflange II.

From its hinged end, the strip 35 extends substantially across the plug[4 and is provided at its free end with an eyelet through which istwisted a flexible wire handle ti. The handle 4| is seated normally in aslot 42 formed in the upper surface of the octagonal flange H and isallowed to extend beyond said flange to form a flexible handle orfingerpiece 43 which may be used for cutting across the revenue stampand raising the stopper 34 from its keg-sealing position, shown inFigure 6, to the open position shown in Figure 7. This flexible handle43 also swings a cover 44 about thepivot pin 31 to open the same. Thecover 44, of substantially the same shape as the octagonal flange H,isdesigned to form a protecting cover for the bung.

The metallic strip 35- is shaped to form inwardly directed projections45 and 45 extending into the apertures through the plug M. For extraadded sealing purposes, the stopper 34 is molded to form outwardlydirected flange members 4'! and 48 adapted to be snapped through theapertures formed by the flanges l9 and 21 in the plug i l for thepurpose of sealing the draught tube and airnozzle apertures whendesired.

In that part of the plug adjacent the flange 2|, there is bedded a wovenspring wire band 5! to-prevent the lower portion of the plug fromcollapsing inwardly and binding when the draught tube is withdrawn fromthe bung.

A sealing sheet 52 of insoluble paper or silver foil, Cellophane, thinmetal or rubber, as desired, may be placed over the inner end of theplug 14, and clamped between the outer surface of the plug 14 and theinner surface of the bushing II], as shown in the drawings. The revenuestamp is intended to be placed over the bung and partly under the coverwhen in closed position, and the cover 44 is intended to hold andprotect the revenue stamps, so that they will not be washed off whenwater or ice is applied to the heads of the kegs or barrels, or they aresubjected to other conditions which would cause removal or loss of thestamps during transit. The arrangement of the revenue stamps over thestopper 34 ensures cancellation of these stamps whenever the flexiblehandle member 4| is used to move the stopper from its closing positionto the open position, shown in Figure 7.

In actual use, the bushing It and the plug part of this invention isintended to be of the same sectional area of the tapping bungs now incommon use. This arrangement of bung-hole gives more access to theinterior of the keg or barrel for the purpose of cleaning the same. Theplug part of the bung may be used repeatedly, since the metallic bushingmay be left as a permanent part of each barrel; and, the plug, being ofresilient live rubber, can be readily snapped into and out of lockingposition in the permanently fixed bushing.

The bung shown particularly in Figures 6 and 7 is adapted, because ofits resilient character, to receive straight or curved draught tubes.Because of this capability to receive curved draught tubes, the barrelsB may be arranged in superposed rows on any suitable rack 53 with theiraxis substantially horizontal and their heads in substantially the samevertical plane as shown particularly in Figures 1 and 2. By thisarrangement, all the barrels are supported to expose a maximum area ofexterior surface to the chilled air in a pre-cooler. with all the headsof the barrels readily accessible for tapping This construction alsoeliminates the necessity of any operator lifting heavy kegs of liquidfor the purpose of moving them into tapping positions.

The curved draught tube l8 may be inserted through the resilient plugsof the barrel bungs, as indicated in Figure 2 of the drawings; and apart 55 projecting outwardly from the head 12 of each barrel is providedwith a faucet of peculiar construction, the structural details of whichare broadly disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application forFaucet, Serial No. 188,767 filed January 4, 1938,

The inner end of the draught tube I8 is provided with holes andpassageway for the liquid to pass and also a non-metallic cutting point56 adapted to pierce the sheet of Cellophane, or tinfoil, or othersealing material inserted under the inner end of the resilient plug [4which forms the essential part of the bung.

The other end of the draught tube is preferably formed with a flange 51adapted to be held in contact with a similar flange 58 formed on the endof a suitable pipe 59, by means of a resilient coupling 60, disclosedand claimed in my co-pending application for Pipe couplings, Serial No,193,997 filed Mar. 4, 1938. The faucet controlling the flow of liquidthrough the draught tube l8 requires the formation on the straight part55 of the'draught tube of a cylindrical offset 6! having an outwardlydirected flange 62 at its outer end. The fiat annular surface of theflange 62 forms a seat for an overhanging lip 63 extending outwardlyfrom a rubber sac 64 which, at its lower end, is formed as a cylindricalplug 65 slidable in the cylinder formed by the offset Bl. That part ofthe sac between the plug 65 and the lip 63 is formed as a hollow chamber66 provided with ribs 67 to prevent the collapse of said chamber.

The rubber sac 64 is secured in position by a cap 6'! having a slittedskirt adapted to snap over the flange 62 and to secure the sac inposition on the offset 6 I. The cap 67 is apertured to permit thereciprocation therein of a valve rod 69 which, at its lower end, isshaped to form an enlargement H3 seated in a correspondingly shapedchamber H in the valve plug 65.

The passage of liquid through the draught tube I8 is thus controlled bythe raising and lowering of the plug 65 across the straight part 55 ofthe aforesaid draught tube. For the purpose of raising and lowering thisrod 69, the upper end thereof is pivoted between a pair of cam plates 12and E3 which are integrally connected at their upper ends to a solidpart 14 which has a screw-threaded pin 75 and engages a flat surface 18on the interior of the knob 16 for the purpose of clamping said knobsecurely to the part 14. An aperture 19 formed in the knob 16 givesaccess to the pin l and nut 11; and this aperture is adapted to beclosed by a segmental closure 80 provided on its inner surface withspring clips 8| adapted to snap into locking position around the edgesof the apertures '19 to hold the closure 80 in position to complete thespherical surface of the knob 16.

As disclosed in my Coupling application, Serial No. 193,997 filed Mar.4, 1938, the pipe 59 and the piping connected thereto may be curved orbent in any manner desired. The complete construction is so devised anddesigned that it is extremely flexible and adapts itself to the use oftubing of glass or some other material which cannot injuriously affectthe beer or other liquids passing therethrough. This construction ofpiping facilitates the assembling and disassembling of the various partsWithout the use of tools; and the entire system throughout isconstructed so that no metallic parts are ever in contact with the beeror other liquid being dispensed. It is obvious that the operation ofthis bung stopper system is not dependent upon positioning of thebarrels or other containers with their axes horizontal. The operation isthe same whether the barrels, etc. be arranged vertically or inclined tothe horizontal; and is not in any way altered by the use of straightdraught tubes instead of the curved tubes shown in the drawings.

While I have shown this invention as embodied in a particular form, itis to be understood that it is not to be considered as limited to thatform or in any other manner except as indicated by the scope of theclaims appended hereto. Furthermore, the invention is not to beconsidered as limited to use with any particular type of container,whether it be in the form of a barrel or keg, or any other kind ofvessel. Where specific terms such as barrel are used in the claims, itmust be understood that this is done for convenience only and not by wayof limitation in the claims.

What I claim is:

l. A bung comprising a metallic bushing provided with means for securingit to a container, a plug of resilient, non-metallic material detachablyseated in said bushing and having an aperture therethrough, saidaperture having spaced apart annular flanges adapted to hold a draughttube in air-tight friction fit with said flanges.

2. A bung comprising a metallic bushing provided with means for securingit to a container,

' a plug of resilient, non-metallic material detachably seated in saidbushing and having an aperture therethrough and adapted to hold adraught tube in air-tight engagement with the walls of said aperture,said plug having a second aperture extending therethrough, and acheck-valve of non-metallic resilient material secured in said secondaperture.

3. A bung comprising a metallic bushing provided with means for securingit to a container, a plug of resilient, non-metallic material detachablyseated in said bushing and having an aperture therethrough and adaptedto hold a draught tube in air-tight engagement with the walls of saidaperture, a closure for said aperture hinged to said bushing a coverhinged to one edge of said bushing to swing across and form a cover forsaid bushing, closure and plug, and a flexible handle secured to thefree end of said closure and extending from said bushing and under saidcover for simultaneously moving said closure and cover from closedpositions on said plug.

4. A bung comprising a metallic bushing provided with means for securingit to a container, a plug of resilient, non-metallic material detachablyseated in said bushing and having an aperture therethrough and adaptedto hold a draught tube in air-tight engagement with the walls of saidaperture, said plug having a second aperture extending therethrough, acheck valve of nonmetallic resilient material secured in said secondaperture, a closure for said apertures hinged to said bushing, a coverhinged to one edge of said bushing to swing across and form a cover forsaid bushing, closure and plug, and a flexible handle secured to thefree end of said closure and extending from said bushing under saidcover for simultaneously moving said closure and cover from closedpositions on said plug.

5. A bung comprising a metallic bushing provided with means for securingit to a container, a plug of resilient, non-metallic material detachablyseated in said bushing and having an aperture therethrough and adaptedto hold a draught tube in air-tight engagement with the walls of saidaperture, said plug having a second aperture extending therethrough, acheck-valve of non-metallic resilient material secured in said secondaperture, and a closure for said apertures hinged to said bushing andincluding resilient stoppers adapted to be snapped into and out ofclosing position in said apertures.

VALENTINE BEECHER.

